The All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo state chapter has commenced an aggressive drive to attract no fewer than 500,000 new members to the party ahead of the 2020 gubernatorial election.
According to Governor Godwin Obaseki confirmed this during the sensitisation of executives and leaders of the APC in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area (LGA) and Irrua, Esan Central LGA, organised before the party’s four-week registration exercise across the state.
Obaseki said the registration process is aimed at strengthening the APC at the base, noting that in the past three years, the party has focused on restructuring to ensure development flows from bottom to top.
“When you have a strong and viable party, the government can do more,” Obaseki said adding that the target is to get over 500,000 members to ensure seamless victory for the APC during the elections.
Also, he said the APC would continue to be the dominant party in Edo state because it has the interest of Edo people at heart.
The governor therefore urged all members of Edo APC to join in building of the party, while insisting that members should not be disturbed by some people in the state who are still practising outdated politics.
“They should come back to the house and stay on the queue and behave like anybody else. You cannot practice your politics outside your ward. APC is open; nobody is being driven out. If you have an issue, attend ward meetings and register your complaints so we will all sit down and resolve it.
“You don’t run to Abuja and tell us you have come home and demand membership. It doesn’t work that way. That is not in the party’s constitution.
“The APC is dominated by a large number of young people who do not know the ancient history of the past so they will not follow people who want to drag them to the past.
“I see the energetic young people in our party. I know it is forward ever, backward never. The issue of serving for eight years rests with God. Just as he did it before, he will do it again. It is not my problem now. My problem is to prepare for the next four years.”
The governor said the APC is mainly dominated by youths who would not be easily deceived going by their level of intelligence.
Meanwhile, the Edo state chairman of the APC, Barrister Anselm Ojezua, thanked the governor for calling the consultative meeting saying it was meant to educate party members of the plans to update the party membership register.
The chairman said the update of the party membership register was necessary because it was last updated in 2014.
Further, he disclosed that 68 registration teams have been set up to update the register of members across the state and the exercise would take place at the unit level of the party.
While in Irrua, the Speaker of the Edo state House of Assembly, Hon Frank Okiye, said they have been working hard to ensure that the registration is successful.
“We are toiling night and day to achieve the re-election of Governor Obaseki. We will ensure that the senatorial districts are won for the governor’s re-election.”
